Portrait of Marie Castel, 1906

Alexej Jawlensky’s work combines the influences of French art (including Post-Impressionism and Fauvism) with Russian icon painting and peasant art, creating a highly personal style. This painting represents an important turning point in his career, transitioning between his early Impressionistic works and his later Expressionistic works, which relied heavily on vivid color and dramatic brushwork. By experimenting with complementary colors – blue next to orange, red next to green – Jawlensky created a vibrant image of an ordinary peasant in Portrait of Marie Castel.